Wide Coverage Speaker

This application claims priority to and incorporates by reference herein U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/821,191 filed on Jun. 10, 2025, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/723,872 filed on Nov. 22, 2024.

This invention relates generally to audio components and more particularly to speakers.

In current configurations, providing suitable sound coverage in large rooms generally requires a high quantity of large speakers providing a mid-range and/or high-range frequency response, along with separate subwoofers to provide a low frequency response. Such configurations have a high cost for both the speakers and the installation thereof. In addition, these typical configurations generally provide a less than desirable quality of sound, creating pockets of good and poor sound that are highly dependent on the location of a listener in the room and therefore lack a desired level of sound uniformity within the room.

In at least some embodiments, a wide coverage speaker is provided that includes: an enclosure having a top, a bottom, a central longitudinal axis extending therethrough, and a low frequency cavity therein; and an inner sound assembly situated within the enclosure and having an assembly central axis therethrough, the inner sound assembly comprising: a downward facing woofer positioned within the low frequency cavity and centered about the assembly central axis; an upper chamber situated below the woofer; a tuned low-frequency absorber situated below and in fluid communication with the upper chamber; a plurality of upper-frequency drivers facing outwards in a circular array that is centered about the assembly central axis and situated below the tuned low-frequency absorber; and a cylindrical low-frequency outlet port centered about the assembly central axis and extending downward from the upper chamber and encircled by the circular array.

Other embodiments, aspects, and features of the invention will be understood and appreciated upon a full reading of the detailed description and the claims that follow.

1 5 FIGS.- 10 10 10 Referring tovarious views of a wide coverage speakerare shown in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the invention. The wide coverage speakeris suitable for various mounting configurations, such as open ceiling commercial applications (e.g., pendant mount, etc.). In at least some embodiments, the wide coverage speakeris a pendant mount speaker, although other mounting styles or configurations may be utilized, including rigid or flexible supports.

10 The wide coverage speakeris configured to provide a low-frequency response in addition to an upper-frequency (mid-range and/or high-range) response over a wide area, thereby reducing the number of separate speakers required in a given space and providing a higher uniformity of sound dispersion. This configuration can eliminate the need for separate subwoofers and reduce the quantity of pendant loudspeakers needed to provide suitable coverage as compared to known downward-firing speakers.

10 12 13 15 17 12 12 12 The wide coverage speakerhas an enclosurewith a topand a bottomand a central longitudinal axisextending therebetween. The enclosurecan take a variety of forms and include various sub-components therein. In at least some embodiments, the enclosurehas a tapered cylindrical shape, although other shapes can be utilized to provide an aesthetic or functional modification. In at least some embodiments, the enclosureis not visually or physically excessive—i.e. a size and weight that can be reasonably carried up a ladder and suspended by a single person, and a length/width profile that is not much larger than current pendant offerings, for example in at least some embodiments, the wide coverage speaker is less than twenty-eight pounds (e.g., 22 pounds) and has a height of about 19 inches and a diameter of about 12 inches.

6 7 FIGS.- 12 14 16 18 20 14 14 Referring to, in at least some embodiments, the enclosureincludes an upper bodyhaving an upper body outer surfacesurrounding an inner low-frequency cavity. An upper body top plateis integrally formed or otherwise secured to the upper body. In at least some embodiments, the upper bodycan have a tapered cylindrical shape that increases in diameter as it extends downward, or take other shapes.

3 5 FIGS.- 12 21 22 24 25 12 12 26 14 28 12 26 28 Referring again to, in at least some embodiments, the enclosurecan further include an aesthetic cover plateand a top coverwith a slotto pass a pendant wire or rod therethrough, which can be connected to an anchor plate (i.e., hanging bracket)secured with the enclosureto facilitate pendant mounting. In addition, the enclosurecan include a side screensituated below the upper bodyand a bottom screensituated at the bottom of the enclosure, wherein the screensandallow sound to readily pass therethrough, comprising of a material such as porous fabric, attenuating foam, etc.

12 10 30 30 32 34 36 34 30 10 In addition to the enclosure, the wide coverage speakerincludes a circuit assembly. In at least some embodiments, the circuit assemblyincludes a crossover(e.g., a second-order crossover, etc.) and a transformer(e.g., 70/100V, etc.), along with one or more connectorsto receive input signals from an amplifier. The transformermay be provided to reduce current and therefore minimize power loss and voltage drop across the wiring, such as by converting a low-impedance output of an amplifier into a high-voltage, low-current signal. The use of crossovers and transformers to process input signals from amplifiers is generally known, and other known circuit components (e.g., wiring, diodes, resistors, fuses, capacitors, solid state devices, etc.) can be included in the circuit assemblyas necessary to facilitate the processing of input signals received from a connected amplifier and communicating processed signals to select drivers in the wide coverage speaker.

10 40 40 41 17 40 10 42 18 8 14 FIGS.- The wide coverage speakerfurther includes an inner sound assembly, shown inin various views. The inner sound assemblyincludes a assembly central axis, which in at least some embodiments is coincident with the central longitudinal axisof the enclosure. The inner sound assemblyincludes various drivers and ports to produce the desired frequency response from the wide coverage speaker. More particularly, to provide an extended low-frequency response, in at least some embodiments, a woofer(i.e., low-frequency driver), for example, an eight-inch woofer, is mounted inside the low-frequency cavityand can be tuned to provide enough low frequency extension such that a separate subwoofer may not be necessary to provide a suitable low frequency response, in at least most applications.

40 44 44 46 48 50 50 57 44 52 50 42 52 42 52 42 46 44 53 48 50 48 44 56 58 56 58 42 18 40 60 44 50 62 The inner sound assemblyfurther includes an upper framefor securing various components and directing sound. In at least some embodiments, the upper frameforms at least in part, an upper chambersituated above and separated from a lower chamberby an upper chamber floor, wherein the upper chamber floorincludes a center aperture, which in at least some embodiments is cylindrical. The upper frameincludes an upper cylindrical wallextending upwards from the upper chamber floor, wherein the wooferis mounted atop the wallfacing downwards. In at least some embodiments, the wooferis mounted directly on the wallsuch that the wooferprovides a direct ceiling for the upper chamber, with no components situated therebetween. The upper framealso includes a lower cylindrical wallextending downward that forms in part, the lower chamber, with the upper chamber floorserving as the ceiling for the lower chamber. The upper framecan also include one or more low frequency portsextending therethrough, which can include port tubessituated thereon. The low frequency portsand port tubesdirect low-frequency sound (created from the back of the woofer) out of the low-frequency cavity. The inner sound assemblycan further include a center platesecured to the upper frameand situated below the upper chamber floorto form a lower chamber floor.

40 51 51 54 50 48 54 48 10 51 In at least some embodiments, the inner sound assemblyfurther includes a tuned low-frequency absorber. The tuned low-frequency absorbercan vary in type, size, shape, and quantity, although in at least some embodiments, as shown, they are Helmholtz absorbers, which include one or more generally cylindrical necksthat extend downward through the upper chamber floorand into the lower chamber. The necksand lower chambercooperate to provide the tuned low-frequency absorption. In other embodiments, the wide coverage speakercan utilize other types of low-frequency absorber, such as membranes or panels in addition to or in place of a Helmholtz absorber. In at least some embodiments, the tuned low-frequency absorberis included to absorb cylindrical modes resulting from the low-frequency cavity's physical dimensions, these absorbers can vary in size, shape, and quantity. This enables the low-frequency passband to operate up to the crossover point without significant polar narrowing or lobing, and with a consistent frequency response without cavity modes.

13 14 FIGS.and 12 FIG. 40 66 60 66 68 70 41 74 68 70 74 75 76 78 76 41 68 70 81 74 76 80 41 76 76 Referring to, the inner sound assemblycan further include a lower framesituated below the center plate. In at least some embodiments, the lower frameincludes a lower frame topand a lower frame bottom, both circular and centered on the assembly central axis. A plurality of faceted windowsconnect the lower frame topto the lower frame bottom, with the windowshaving aperturesthat are sized and shaped to mount a plurality of upper-frequency drivers(i.e., mid-range and/or high-range drivers) at least partially therein in an outwardly facing direction, thereby providing a circular arrayof upper-frequency driverscentered on the assembly central axis. In at least some embodiments, the lower frame tophas a larger circumference than the lower frame bottom. As such, a directional driver center lineextending orthogonal to the windowsand through (back-to-front) at least one of the associated upper-frequency drivers, is at a downward angle α from a horizontal planethat intersects perpendicular to the assembly central axis(see). In at least some embodiments, the angle α is the same for all of the upper-frequency drivers, while in other embodiments the angle α can vary for each upper-frequency driver. While the angle α can vary, in at least some embodiments, angle α is between about ten degrees and about seventy degrees, and in some other embodiments, is between about 25 degrees and about forty-five degrees, and yet in some further embodiment is about thirty degrees, to provide an optimized projection of upper-frequency energy to the edge of a coverage pattern.

40 82 83 82 66 70 57 46 82 44 85 48 82 74 62 85 42 46 51 82 76 4 FIG. The inner sound assemblyincludes a cylindrical low-frequency outlet portwith an exit diameter. In at least some embodiments, the outlet portis formed with the lower frameand extends upward from the lower frame bottomto the center apertureto provide a continuous low-frequency outlet from the upper chamber, while in other embodiments, the outlet portcan extend from or be secured to, the upper frameor another component. In at least some embodiments, a driver cavity(see) is situated below the lower chamber, between the outlet portand the windows, with the lower chamber floorserving as a ceiling for the driver cavity. Sound from the wooferpasses into the upper chamberand is tuned by the low-frequency absorberbefore passing through the outlet port, which in at least some embodiments, provides wide horizontal low-frequency directivity, and has a relatively short length to minimize the apparent source size and place it close to the upper-frequency drivers.

83 82 42 42 83 82 76 42 42 78 83 78 In at least some embodiments, the exit diameterof the outlet portcan be critical, being much smaller than the diameter of the wooferin order to produce a horizontal directivity that is wider than the natural directivity of the woofer. For example, in the embodiment illustrated herein, using an eight-inch woofer, the exit diameterof the outlet portis about four inches (although other sizes could be utilized in other embodiments), to create a source that is significantly smaller than the wavelength of sound at the crossover point of the upper-frequency driverswhile providing the output of the eight-inch woofer. In at least some other embodiments, this arrangement could be employed with a wooferand arrayof varying sizes, by adjusting the exit diameterdepending on the low-frequency cutoff of the arrayand the desired horizontal directivity.

78 76 82 10 78 76 10 17 12 76 78 76 76 76 76 76 76 The arrayof upper-frequency driversencircle the outlet portand project sound in a symmetrical circle around the wide coverage speaker. In at least some embodiments, the arraycan include eight two-inch upper-frequency drivers, which project sound in a symmetrical circle around the wide coverage speakerout to a distance of about twenty-five feet from the central longitudinal axisof the enclosure, although in at least some other embodiments, more or less upper-frequency driverscan be used, and/or having a larger or smaller diameter. In at least some embodiments, for the arrayof upper-frequency driversto be most effective in minimizing sidelobes, the source spacing should be less than ½-wavelength of the highest frequency intended to be reproduced. For example, in the present embodiment, a two-inch upper-frequency driverspacing ensures consistent reproduction up to 3300 Hz, beyond which the natural directivity of each upper-frequency driverisolates its output from the neighboring upper-frequency driver, reducing lobing. In at least one embodiment, as shown, the upper-frequency driversinclude cone drivers to enable the crossover point from woofer to upper range to be exceptionally low—between 400 and 500 Hz—providing the majority of the voice range to emanate from the upper-frequency driverswithout the interruption of a crossover point. Although in other embodiments, dome or compression drivers could also be used.

76 40 90 92 94 90 96 90 78 While a circular array has many benefits, a related result is summation directly beneath the array where the listener is equidistant from all upper-frequency drivers. To mitigate this, in at least some embodiments, the inner sound assemblycan further include a bottom directivity diskhaving a disk top surfaceand a disk bottom surface. In at least some embodiments the bottom directivity diskincludes a central disk apertureextending therethrough. The bottom directivity diskis positioned to shadow the area directly below this summation and serves to smooth out the transition from far- to near-field and reduce the “hot spot” directly beneath the arrayso that the sound is very similar beneath the array and at the edge of the coverage.

90 90 76 102 76 90 An important design element of the bottom directivity diskcan be its acoustic absorption and physical size. In at least some embodiments, the bottom directivity diskis comprised of a layer of material that is acoustically absorptive (absorption coefficient greater than 0.8) above 1 kHz to reduce sound from the upper-frequency driverstransmitted downward, while also minimizing reflections of sound back up into a bottom chambersurrounding the upper-frequency drivers, while in other embodiments, other acoustically absorptive materials can be used. Additionally, the bottom directivity diskis of a sufficient physical size, for example, twelve inches in diameter for the present embodiment shown, to provide a shadowing effect beginning at approximately 1 kHz, where the wavelength of sound approaches one foot.

10 30 32 10 42 76 As discussed above, the wide coverage speakerincludes a circuit assemblywith a crossover. Various types of crossovers can be utilized. In at least some embodiments, the wide coverage speakerincludes a second-order passive crossover that integrates the wooferand upper-frequency driversto provide a flat overall response. Additionally, active equalization can be provided to increase “smoothness” and provide some additional lower frequency punch. In at least some embodiments, only a single amplifier channel is needed. In at least some embodiments, such as in the exemplary embodiment shown herein, a peak power level of 140 W is required to reach maximum output.

10 10 10 In at least some embodiments, in an exemplary configuration, the wide coverage speakerallows for minimum of at least forty feet of usable diameter of coverage from a single wide coverage speakerwhen hung at twelve feet above the finished floor, or a fifty feet diameter when hung at fourteen feet. Known pendant loudspeakers typically have a 100-degree conical pattern that produce a nominal coverage area (−6 dB) ˜twenty-eight feet at a ten foot height, whereas in at least some embodiments, the wide coverage speakerhas a one-hundred and forty degree pattern that can produce a nominal coverage area (−6 dB) of fifty-five feet at the same height, thereby reducing the quantity of speakers needed for a given application by a factor of approximately 2.

10 10 10 10 In at least some embodiments, the wide coverage speakercan include any one or more of the following performance specifications: system frequency response of 50 Hz-15 kHz (−3 dB); frequency range of 40 Hz-20 kHz (−10 dB); nominal coverage (1-4 kHz) 140 degrees conical; system high-pass filter with 40 Hz HPF; max SPL @ 1 Meter, continuous of 107 dB, and peak of 113 dB; nominal impedance system of eight ohms; dispersion 1-10 khz of 140 degrees with 10-14 ft grille-to-floor hanging heights, and 40 ft coverage per wide coverage speakerat 12 ft, and 50 ft coverage per wide coverage speakerat 14 ft; 70/100V taps rated 100/50/25/12 W; input connection of 6-pin euroblock input for Lo-Z/Hi-Z; maximum dimension of the enclosure not exceed a 19.4 inch height (not including hook)×12.1 inch diameter; weight not to exceed 27 lbs. In addition, in at least some embodiments, the wide coverage speakercan be pre-configured with one or more of various software interfaces, such as GoldFinch Presets, CSD & CSP presets, SmartBass, EASE, and/or Modeler.

Various aspects of the wide coverage speaker can be modified within the spirit of the invention. In addition to the disclosed shapes and sizes (e.g., cylindrical, tubular, conical, tapered, etc.), all the aforementioned components, can vary to include numerous adaptations. Further, the material composition of all components can also include numerous elements, such as steel, aluminum, alloys, plastics, etc. It shall be understood that the term “about” when referencing a numerical dimension or range can in at least some embodiments, be construed to include an exact number, while in other embodiments it may be construed to include a number that is reasonably close, such as within manufacturing tolerances.